266 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



hundreds of workers on landed estates, who had thought 

 they were safe for life. 



If Mr. Lloyd George wants the Four Millions he writes 

 of to-day, why not copy the sagacity of the French 

 when they raised the huge German indemnity ? 



They taxed every advertisement (beyond a certain 

 size) a halfpenny — and this applied to all hoardings 

 and announcements at Railway Stations and other 

 places. It was a simple tax to which no one made any 

 objection, it was paid readily, and not felt. It was not 

 a tax which drove people off the land, as the one now 

 proposed will do. 



In France, too, at that time every one paid a half- 

 penny on theatre tickets above five francs. 



A tax on public advertisements would be scarcely 

 felt by any one. Newspaper men could charge a little 

 more for advertisement space — and really the tax 

 would harm no section of the community, while it 

 would bring in a huge sum. 



Forgive me if I dare to make this humble suggestion 

 to one of your wisdom and perspicuity — but I am a 

 witness of the daily despair of agricultural toilers who, 

 having their little homes on estates where the owners 

 have ever been their friends and helpers, are trembling 

 lest they be turned adrift to shift for themselves else- 

 where, all through the real cruelty and short-sightedness 

 of the proposed tax which will drive them off the land. 

 And it seems to me that there are many things which 

 might be taxed in preference to the soil on which man, 

 with much labour, gets his bread. 



Do think of an advertisement tax ! it would be what 

 the French did most successfully. There was a half- 

 penny stamp tax, too, on every magazine and news- 

 paper — and even this would be far better than taxing 

 the land. 



I have not seen you since you kindly supported me in 

 saving the Shakesperian property here— but I always 

 read all you say. — Sincerely yours, 



Marie Corelli. 



July 1, 1909. Mr. Lloyd George asks you " how to 

 get the four millions." There are plenty of ways — 

 even by taxing other " luxuries " than advertisements. 



